written by:

Now the owners of Rosa Linda's Mexican Café are getting death threats, nasty threatening phone calls, and insulting e-mails criticizing their choice.

"I don't want people to be angry at me," Rosa Linda Aguirre, the owner of the neighborhood staple, said. "I feel that this is really going out of proportion. I'm sorry if I offended somebody or everybody. I did not mean to do that."

The café has been in the neighborhood for a very long time. The Aguirres, originally from Mexico, are U.S. citizens. They're Mormon.

When the couple was approached by the Romney campaign in August, asking to be a campaign stop for the Republican candidate, they declined.

"We don't want to be a tool. We don't want to be anything more than a place of gathering and a home," Oscar Aguirre, Rosa Linda's son and a restaurant employee, said.

"People are saying they want to see us out of business. I'm like, we didn't do anything," he said. "We just didn't want to be a campaign stop. Mr. Romney, come and eat tomorrow. He's welcome. President Obama is welcome; former President Bush is welcome; President Clinton, they're welcome. It doesn't matter. We're a place of family and a place of community."

Aguirre said he's been receiving death threats and ugly emails. A customer Wednesday ordered $120 worth of food, and then cancelled the order when it was already cooked.

"People are hateful," Oscar said. "I got death threats last night, people calling me, telling me that they live down the street. They're going to come and get me. The phone has been ringing off the hook."

While 9NEWS was doing the story Thursday morning, the phone in the restaurant was constantly ringing.

9NEWS listened as callers told Oscar to "go to Hell!" Other callers said they will not be spending money at his restaurant and that he should be ashamed.

The restaurant is known for its annual Thanksgiving feast for the needy and the hungry. Last year they served 5500 meals. Those could be in jeopardy if the place goes out of business.